Honesty was just what the doctor ordered for Tipp, says Sam O'Farrell
Unable to emerge from the Munster SHC, the 2024 season had been a humbling one for the group and they weren't in the mood to sugarcoat it for themselves.
'They definitely didn't shy away from it at the start of the year before Christmas. There was a lot of honest discussions and if anything it spurred us younger lads to get our act together to really drive this thing on because the passion that was displayed in some of those meetings, like, lads just wanted to do the jersey justice and get to days like this.
'Obviously, getting out Munster was the first goal, and I don't know if many could have foreseen this, but it was obviously the goal. Yeah, just the raw emotion and passion was inspiring from those early meetings, everything was put out on the table. They parked last year but those kind of scars would drive on those lads to prove a lot of people wrong.'
From the victory over Clare in Cusack Park, the start of Tipperary's six-game winning run to glory, the road became clear. 'There is a lot of footage from after that game, and we were all jumping around like we'd just won a final in itself,' smiles O'Farrell. 'But I think that game was probably the catalyst for what went on to do this year.
'Obviously, we had one point from our first two games against Limerick and Cork, so we went to Ennis knowing that anything but a win wouldn't be good enough. To go into the All-Ireland champions' backyard and beat them was special.
'I think it was Craig Morgan's first Munster championship win, Ronan Maher's first championship win as captain, so what it meant to those lads and the buzz it gave us and it really kicked things on.'
O'Farrell is in salubrious company with Pádraic Maher (2010) as an All-Ireland U20/21 winning captain who has also claimed a senior Celtic Cross in the same year.
'An absolute whirlwind and kind of the stuff of dreams. Myself, Josh Keller, (2019 U20 All-Ireland winning captain) Craig Morgan and Jake [Morris] would have carpooled all year to training. Jake would often remind us that in 2019 he did the 20s and senior.
'At the start of the year, you're kind of saying, 'Well, look, if we do one, we'd be doing very well. To have the two this year, it's just, it's the stuff of dreams, it really is, and it just still feels surreal.'
Never was the moonlighting a chore for O'Farrell, Darragh McCarthy or Oisín O'Donoghue. 'I picked up a niggle at the start of the year and when you're missing a few league games, and you're injured going to the matches, the one thing you want to do is just be out playing. There was never any complaints on Darragh, Oisín or myself's end about double-jobbing.'
U20 manager Brendan Cummins's support role to Liam Cahill was significant, according to the Nenagh Éire Óg man. 'When you're playing minor and you're playing U20, they say, 'We're developing you for the end goal, which is the senior.' Brendan was brilliant to us this year. He just let us in with the seniors for the first half of the season, just completely all in with them and any time we needed any bit of experience to lean on, he was there.
'Then, our senior management team, just the confidence they inspired in us young lads, handing us the start that first (league) day in Galway was huge. They never ever had a bad word to say to us or about us. It was huge bravery and, do you know what, the confidence they inspired in us was huge.'
O'Farrell is following in the footsteps of his father Paul and pursuing a career in medicine. He enters his second year in the University of Galway. 'This year was an introduction year so it gave me ample time to be home for training and it wasn't too taxing. A lot of it was continuous assessment but I've heard it's going to be a different story now next year, so we'll move across that bridge. Hurling is my first love and as long as I'm able and want it I'll be playing.'
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RTÉ News
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Kerry ratings: Gavin White plays captain's role for victors
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Jason Foley - 7 Went head to head with Michael Murphy. Fouled him twice in the second-half for frees that Murphy converted. Also fouled Gallen for a free that Murphy nailed. Kept Murphy to two points from play overall and will have been content with his efforts. Dylan Casey - 6.5 Bottled up and overcarried for a 21st minute free that Murphy should have converted. That was a bad start and Casey struggled at times to contain Conor O'Donnell who sniped four points from play. He marked Paddy McBrearty for a spell when the Donegal captain came on. Brian Ó Beaglaoich - 7 Coughed up a handy free with a touch on the ground in the 34th minute. He and Kerry got away with that one. Winced after kicking a wide in the third quarter also. Lent to a Trojan defensive effort overall, the best Donegal have come up against all season. Mike Breen - 7 Spent plenty of time in the Donegal half in the first quarter when Kerry were applying the heat and laying down the terms of engagement with their relentless onslaught. Kicked one two-point effort wide but got his hands on plenty of ball and moved it on efficiently. Eventually replaced in the 65th minute by Tadhg Morley. Gavin White - 9 Inspirational stuff from the Kingdom skipper. Ostensibly a wing-back, the Killarney man tormented Donegal's defence with his powerful running down the left wing. Ciaran Moore must have felt like he was in reverse gear at times, trying to cover that side against him. White scored 0-03 and was still setting up scores late on, feeding Paudie Clifford for a 61st minute point. Sean O'Brien - 7.5 Any nerves that O'Brien must have been feeling in just his ninth Championship game for Kerry were overcome early on. 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Irish Examiner
a few seconds ago
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Jim McGuinness: 'We were chasing our tails'
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Irish Examiner
a few seconds ago
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Healy-Rae to make complaint against garda over 'shoving' incident on All-Ireland final day
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